Figured You Out
by Mistress of Destruction
Summary: Rydia hates the moon, and an encounter with three Red Giants proves exactly why.


Author's note: I'm very sorry to everyone that was expecting a DMC update, and no, I haven't forgotten about it. But due to school, I really try not to write or even think about writing (I want my A's!). So really I wasn't even supposed to type this one out but... It was bugging me and it was really short, the shortest thing I've ever written. Anyway, sorry again, I promise to get back to DMC in April after my Chemistry Exam.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Final Fantasy except the game. If I did have any ownership in Square Enix I would make them stop producing new and crappy Final Fantasy's. Instead I would make them redo the old ones! All in favor, say I... ;)

Figured You Out

Rydia hated the moon; it was barren and devoid of all natural life. Instead, the life that did exist was made up of monsters that hid amongst the clefts and fissures of the harsh rocky landscape. The only comfort and reprieve from the dark alien land came in the form of her companions. Companions that if Golbez had not brought war to them all she would have never met much less spoken too or journeyed with. She neglected to think about the fact that she would still be a seven year old girl learning the basics of magic from her mother, if the war had not been brought to her doorstep.

Their motley group at the moment was traversing the cavernous lair of Bahamut in order to gain his help as Lord of all Eidolons. Time and time again, Rydia found herself relighting Cecil's torch with her fire magic, as he was forced to drop their only source of light every time they encountered more of the monstrous denizens of this hell that was known as the moon.

Delving further into the lair, Cecil's torch glinted off what appeared to be red metal further down the passage that they traveled. He raised his arm to call a halt, the pale metal of his gauntlet appearing golden in the light of the torch. At his gesture, everyone moved back into a battle stance, the torch being thrown by him into the darkness to further illuminate their adversaries. Already concentrating on her magic, Rydia couldn't help the gasp that escaped her lungs as the creatures stepped forward revealing towering red robots that nearly brushed the high vaulted ceiling with their horned metallic heads. A thundering step forward, the hissing of hydraulics and the grind of metal barely audible over the rumbling of the cavern at their approach, and the flaming torch was snuffed out by a descending foot.

"Well, I suppose it could be worse," Edge's voice spoke from out of the darkness somewhere beside her.

"How could this be any worse?" Rydia snapped, uncertain of exactly where he was; now only being able to see the red glow of the machine's eyes.

"They could be a helluva lot bigger and we'd have to be jumping down their throat just to put 'em down."

Remembering just as clearly the giant of Bab-il, Rydia refrained from answering and instead set her mind to weaving the spell for Thundaga. Beyond her she could hear Rosa begin to chant the spells of protection, whilst Cecil and Kain's armour clanked loudly in the darkness as they sought to bring the battle to the converging robots. Feeling her magic swirling about her in a storm of ecstasy, Rydia spun and released her spell with a word, casting it outward onto the robots, leaving her feeling momentarily empty. The bolt of lightning illuminated the entire passage for a few seconds revealing three of the red automatons, and the two men with swords dancing about their legs in an attempt to bring the giants to their knees, before it struck her enemies in a clap of thunder. At the moment, Kain was nowhere to be seen and Rydia could only assume that the Dragoon was somewhere higher, thrusting his spear into other parts.

Darkness fell as the bolt struck their enemies with a clap of thunder, but it was illuminated seconds later, again, by red lasers that were propelled from the hands of the robots, striking each of the companions and hurling them backwards, with the exception of Kain whom remained aloft.

Rydia groaned and looked up to see another string of lasers beaming toward them, immediately causing her to flatten her body against the ground once more.

A soft whirl of silk cloth past Rydia was the only thing that alerted her to Edge's presence.

"Don't ya know dirt's not good for ya?" Again his voice came out of the darkness somewhere in proximity to her head.

Rydia snarled at him and attempted to rise once more only to be brought to her knees this time by the earth shaking steps of the robotic monstrosities. Completely frustrated with herself, the situation, and Edge's comments, Rydia's hand brushed against a vial of something as she moved to push herself up for hopefully the last time. _Had Edge left it for her?_

Without further thought she downed the cool liquid, and feeling reenergized, stood to her full height, already pulling her magic to her once more. She would end these creatures. A glance toward the creatures in the laser punctured darkness, showed Edge bringing his swords to bear in a dance that took him safely past the lasers toward the legs of the large machines in a series of strikes. Under normal circumstances, Rydia found his dance – silver hair, flowing silk cloth and all – mesmerizing, but these were not ideal conditions and as she began the ritual of summoning Shiva she only mildly hoped he moved out of the way. A wicked grin enveloped her fair face as she thought about the frost that would cling to his body and the disgusted look on his face if he got too close to the ice queen's attack.

Shiva appeared moments later in a flurry of snow and ice, her strong enchantments assaulting the three androids, the ice seeping into their joints and turning the oil of their gears into concrete. Shiva grinned once at Rydia before disappearing in her return to the Feymarch. Rydia smiled as all she heard was the clash of steel on steel, as Cecil, Edge and Kain's blades hacked mercilessly against the incapacitated machines. It all turned wrong in seconds though, as the robots unexpectedly exploded.

Flames lit the cavern around them, exploding from the iron automatons in a concussion of sound and force. Shielding her face with her arms against the searing heat, Rydia worked to keep her footing as the entire cavern shook as if an earthquake had struck, the vibrations of the explosion rolling through the very ground.

She found herself quite suddenly thrown to the side as the rumbling of the cavern reached its crescendo. She didn't even have to see, as part of the cavern's ceiling gave way and stalactites impacted the ground in a tumble of boulders and dust, in the very spot she had been standing only moments ago.

When the shockwaves and the flames had died down enough, Rydia lifted her head to cautiously look around. Small pockets of flames still danced here and there among the rubble of iron that had once comprised the three malicious robots, providing much needed albeit faint light to the cave around her. Near the heap of metal, Rosa knelt beside the bodies of the two knights, working her spells in order to heal them. _But if Cecil and Kain were there... that meant..._

Rydia turned back to the large pile of collapsed rock. "Edge," she cried. Racing forward she began using her hands to move the tumbled rock.

"Of all the stupid things to do..." she growled angrily, unaware of the tears leaking from her green eyes. _If she could just get to him..._ "Stupid ninja, always trying to be the hero," she let out in frustration as she rolled a larger boulder out of the way, her hands already cut and bleeding from the sharp edges of the rocks.

"Looking for something?" The voice that she knew so well spoke hesitantly from somewhere above her, the cockiness absent from it for a change.

Rydia's head shot up to meet his stormy gaze and then she was scrambling up the rock fall to reach him. Heedless of the fact that he is covered in grey rock dust, and gingerly holding his side, the moment she reached the prince of ninjas Rydia threw her arms tightly about him.

"Gods," Rydia murmured into his chest briefly before leaning up and kissing him. Later she would look back and just assume she had been hit in the head with a rock, but in that moment it was haven. Feeling him begin to relax under her fierce grip, she pulled away before he could fully recover from her abruptness and met his eyes once more. "I hate you." She snapped half-heartedly, and buried her face into his chest.

If anyone had seen the prince's face and knowing his character, they would have laughed out loud at the complete look of befuddlement crossing his visible features.

Like the shaking of the earth from before, Edge's sigh rolled through Rydia's body and his breath whispered past her ear and neck. "Just when I think I've got you figured out," he spoke softly. "You go and prove to me how little I really understand you."

Rydia couldn't help but smile in response.


End file.
